


Meddling Ghosts

by AgentOfShip



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Autumn, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Haunted Houses, Jemma Simmons Has No Chill, Oblivious Leo Fitz, Road Trips, Sci-Ops Era (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Sharing a Bed, neither do the ghosts, neither does fitz
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:35:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26932975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentOfShip/pseuds/AgentOfShip
Summary: Fitz and Jemma's autumnal road trip takes an unexpected turn when they arrive at their gorgeous but very much haunted hotel in West Virginia. With four nights to spend there, they'll have ample time to meet the local ghosts and come to realize they have a rather specific goal.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 12
Kudos: 44





	Meddling Ghosts

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to @Libbyweasley for making my words better as always and to @zuziuchna for the gorgeous moodboard to illustrate this story <3

_"Sixty percent off, are you sure it's not too much?"_

_"Of course it isn't. This is a very fancy hotel and they're so young. We have to be sure they come. When we were their age, we couldn't afford to get a room in such a place."_

_"Not that anyone would have given us one. Not to me at least. And we are their age."_

_"Oh you know what I mean. Now send the email before he wakes up. Use the mouse, you ninny! You've always been so terrible with technology!"_

_"Most of it hadn't been invented when I was alive!"_

_"Well, it's the same for me but I'm still trying to keep up. And keep your voice down, you'll wake him up."_

_"Alright, it's done. Now we wait."_

_"Now we wait."_

With a few clicks, the email window was closed and the computer screen went back to displaying the slightly boring autumn landscape as if nothing had just happened. Just like nothing had happened a year ago or the year before that. Outside, the wind was howling and in the quiet hotel lobby, the old grandfather clock ticked away the time as the clerk continued to snore peacefully, unaware of the rather unusual activity that had happened right in front of him. It was that time of year again and the hotel's two oldest occupants were planning on taking advantage of it.

* * *

West Virginia hadn't been part of their original plan when they had decided to spend their first holiday since graduating on a road trip on the northern east coast. They'd already been to California during the second summer at the Academy. Fitz had pretended to hate it because he hated sand and his skin wasn't made to soak in so much sun and heat but Jemma knew they'd both had a lot fun either way. Still, this time they'd decided on a fall vacation and a destination and weather that would remind them a lot more of home. But after long hours of browsing the web for hotels, itineraries and quite a lot of lists of _places you need to have seen if you want to call yourself an American_ , they'd finally decided to add West Virginia to their road trip. Jemma didn't want to call herself an American but she still liked to have the option. 

And most importantly, from all the pictures Jemma had seen, it was supposed to be gorgeous. Lots of woods to go hiking, old Victorian mansions to visit and plenty of adorable little cafés to hide out in if the weather was too bad. All of it she couldn't wait to see as soon as the fog decided to lift off. 

"Are you sure this is the right road?" Fitz asked for the fifth time making Jemma roll her eyes. 

"Of course it is! Have I ever given you the wrong direction?"

"Well, remember that time you told me to mix those two vials and it turned out—"

"I mean on the road! And it was an honest mistake. Those weren't my usual beakers and the colors were all wrong."

"It was all over the lab, Simmons!" 

Jemma couldn't help smiling at the memory. Poor Fitz had been so horrified to be covered in this disgusting substance that for a moment, she'd thought she had just ruined their budding friendship when it had taken months for him to even talk to her. But they'd been so exhausted after they'd had to scrub themselves raw in the decontamination shower that Fitz had invited her to join him for pizza and Doctor Who in his room. It had been the first time since joining the Academy that she'd spent an evening doing something other than studying. And it had been the first of many evenings spent together in their own little world. So however disgusted Fitz still seemed whenever he mentioned the accident, Jemma continued to consider it one of her best memories from the Academy.

"Well anyway, this is the right road and we're almost there."

"Yeah, you keep telling that but all I can see is trees. Are you sure this is really a hotel and not a serial killer's cabin in the wood we're looking for?" 

Jemma chuckled before squinting her eyes to try and see through the fog.

"Ah, that's it. Just take the next left turn and it'll be right there." 

The road they took was very narrow and seemed barely suitable for cars and it didn't help that it was going uphill, but after a few bumpy minutes the road opened into a clearing and the hotel suddenly appeared in front of them, almost like magic. Fitz parked next to the few other cars and they stepped out immediately for some much needed fresh air and leg stretching. After spending a week between Maine and Vermont, they'd spent a night in a small town in Pennsylvania then drove directly to their hotel a little outside of Colfax, West Virginia. It had seemed close enough on the map and some of their colleagues had confirmed it but Jemma often forgot how huge this country was and it had in fact been a six hour drive from Pennsylvania. 

Jemma stretched her back and arms before joining Fitz who was standing in the middle of the pathway leading up to the hotel, his hands on his hips as he looked up at the impressive building. Jemma sighed contentedly.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it?"

The pictures on the website really didn't do the Victorian mansion justice. Jemma could have spent hours looking at every detail, every carving on every window and every column. There was even a round opening in the front porch that added something very hobbit-like to the otherwise gothic feeling of it all. The bits of the inside she could see through the bay window on the corner tower were lovely and the dark red color of the house made quite an impression, especially in the fall when all the trees around had turned to various shades of yellow, red and oranges. She still couldn't believe they could afford to stay in such a place. She knew that their salary at SHIELD was generous given that it was their first assignment but this place was so much more luxurious than every other hotel they'd been able to afford during the rest of their trip.

"Maybe it's not a car we should have rented but the mystery van." 

Jemma laughed as she bumped his shoulder playfully. The place did have an eerie, gothic atmosphere to it, especially with the persistent fog and the night that had started falling. Not to mention the fairy lights and pumpkins lined up on the front porch that added a Halloween ambiance on top of everything.

"You know, we're lucky I received that offer in my email or we couldn't afford to be here for more than one night."

"I know," he said with a fond smile. "I'm lucky you're the only person in the world who goes through all their junk mail just in case."

"You are, aren't you? And we'll even have our own rooms here so I don't have to hear your snore for four days."

Fitz rolled his eyes. 

"Good, then maybe there'll be enough space for all your luggage this time."

"It's three weeks and I like to be ready for everything!" she protested.

"I know," he said, grinning. "And when I get bitten by a very rare snake, I'll know I can count on you." 

"Exactly." 

The wind suddenly picked up, carrying dry leaves in circles on the ground. Jemma shivered and crossed her arms over her chest. If the weather remained like that, she would need to wear her warmer clothes the next day. Stepping closer, Fitz wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her closer. "Mmmh nice," she whispered and let her head fall against his shoulder as she muffled a yawn. If she had a Fitz to warm up her bed at night during the winter, she would save so much on heating. He started rubbing her arm and Jemma felt her cheeks heat up. That was a strange thought to have about her best friend, however wonderfully warm he always was. 

"Enough fresh air for tonight?" he asked and she hummed her assent, burying her face in the crook of his neck to enjoy his warmth just a second longer. "Let's go get our rooms and then dinner? I'm famished!"

"Dinner sounds lovely."

* * *

_"Oh they're adorable, aren't they?"_

_"Yeah… Remember when we used to do that? We should have known…"_

_"Oh sweetheart. There's no use dwelling on that. Let's focus on the present, shall we?"_

_"You're right. I think we made the right choice with those two."_

* * *

Jemma's head shot up, looking all around to find whoever had just spoken but there was no one around, just the hotel clerk at the front desk who was alone and didn't seem to be interested in them at all. Weird. It wasn't the first time people had looked at her and Fitz and thought they were a couple, especially since the beginning of their road trip. But that last sentence was strange. 

Oh well. She must have heard that wrong. 

She turned back around and resumed threading her fingers through Fitz's hair while he was peacefully asleep with his head on her lap. _He was_ rather adorable like that. Dinner had been delicious but combined with the two glasses of wine they'd had and the dim lighting in the hotel lobby, Fitz had dozed off the moment they sat on the big comfy couch facing the fireplace. Jemma didn't mind. She'd been waiting to finish this chapter of her book for over a week and despite how she always teased him about it, there was something soothing about him when he slept close to her, his light snoring more like a gentle purr most of the time. Especially when she ran her fingers through his soft springy curls.

She was loath to wake him up really, but she'd already read three chapters and she was starting to get sleepy. They couldn't possibly spend the night here when they had such gorgeous rooms waiting for them upstairs. Each of them was almost as big as the apartment they shared, the bed big enough to get lost in it and decorated in the most delightfully Victorian way with dark wallpapers, big golden framed mirrors and slightly scary paintings of too pale people on the walls. 

Jemma gently rubbed his shoulder. "Fitz, wake up. It's time to go to bed." 

"In a minute," he grumbled, weakly shaking his shoulder to stop her from waking him up. 

Jemma bit her lip. 

"Fitz, don't make me carry you to bed," she whispered in his ear.

He huffed.

"You can't. Too heavy. Been doing push-ups."

Jemma shook her head as a fond smile spread across her lips.

"Of course you have. Come on, we have a long day ahead of us." 

"What time do I have to wake up?" 

"I want you showered and clothed in the breakfast room at eight." 

Fitz groaned but finally sat up, yawning and stretching his arms over his head before turning to her. Jemma grinned. She'd made quite a mess of his hair but it was his fault for letting it grow so long and then putting his head on her lap. He knew she couldn't resist. It was incredibly relaxing and her hand smelled of flowers afterwards. 

"You know we're on holidays, right?" 

"Yes, that's why we had wine tonight and why I want to go hiking in the morning so we build up an appetite for lunch." 

"What's so special about lunch?" 

"You'll see… It's a surprise," she said with a proud smile. She'd stumbled upon the ad while looking for hotels. It was the cutest little cafe. They served the usual sandwiches and salads but the pastries —homemade of course— looked properly sinful and she had known immediately that Fitz would love it. 

Fitz squinted his eyes at her for a second before his lips pulled up into a small smile. 

"Alright then."

She knew the prospect of food could make him do anything. Standing up, she grabbed her book and offered Fitz her hand. He took it then wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the grand wooden staircase leading to the first floor. She smiled as she put her arm around his waist. Even though his grumpy side had still shown up a few times since they'd started this road trip, being stress free had turned him into a cuddly teddy bear.

"What?" he asked when he noticed her smile.

"Nothing… you're being very sweet."

He rolled his eyes but kept his arm around her and even rubbed her arm for good measure.

"I'm doing it for you, Simmons. It's getting cold out there and you would freeze to death if I wasn't there to warm you up at night." 

Jemma felt her cheeks heat up until she remembered she hadn't actually voiced her earlier thought out loud. She didn't doubt that, in his mouth, that was a perfectly innocent sentence.

"I could swear the eyes on this painting are following me," Fitz whispered as they navigated the labyrinth that was this building. Jemma had thought it silly when the clerk had given them a map of the house to get to their room but now, with the added darkness and sleepiness, she understood why.

"Don't be silly, it's just a trick of the light." 

"Right…" Fitz replied unconvinced.

Their steps resonated loudly in the otherwise quiet corridors as they turned yet another corner that should have brought them back to the stairs but somehow didn't. With the walls covered in a dark floral wallpaper and the whole house creaking with every wind gust, Jemma had to admit the whole place was much spookier than it let on on the website. 

"Alright," Jemma said, looking at the map one last time. "We turn left and our rooms should be right there."

As they did, Fitz gasped and took a step back, pulling Jemma with him. 

"Fitz, what—"

"Creepy paintings I can deal with but mounted animals, that's just too much, Simmons!"

She chuckled as she looked in the direction of Fitz's gaze. She wasn't too fond of stuffed animals either and she had to admit the poor bird didn't look reassuring with the dim lights reflecting in his glass eyes. But he was being quite the scaredy cat for someone who loved horror movies so much.

"He's dead Fitz, I don't think he's much of a danger to you." 

"Exactly! He's dead so let him be dead instead of _this_ ," Fitz replied, his last word practically whispered as he shivered all over. "Why would people do this, honestly?"

"Do you want me to ask the clerk to move it?" Jemma said, teasing. "I think this is a fancy enough place that we can request things like that."

"No," Fitz grumbled. "But when it comes scratching at your door during the night, _I'll_ be the one laughing." 

In the unlikely chance that would happen, Jemma was pretty sure he would be too busy screaming like a banshee to laugh at her but she just rolled her eyes and let it go. 

"Alright, time for bed. Meet me for breakfast at eight?" 

"Yeah, if I ever find my way there. Goodnight Simmons," Fitz said, reaching for his key in his back pocket.

"Goodnight Fitz," she replied, doing the same and unlocking the door to her room. A thought crossed her mind as she was about to walk in. "Hey Fitz?" 

"What?" 

"You're going to sleep with the lights on, aren't you?"

"Shut up!" 

And with that he closed the door, locking it behind him.

Jemma laughed as she shook her head. She walked in and turned on the light. The bed, with its mountain of pillows and crisp white sheets looked very inviting. Jemma yawned. She was going to sleep like a log.

* * *

Jemma awoke with a start. In her still sleepy state, it took a moment to realize what had awoken her. But then, there was a strong gust of wind, making her skin erupt in goosebumps and she realized that the window was wide open. Strange. She'd been too cold to even air out the room for a few minutes like she usually did before sleep. Maybe it had been just slightly open and she hadn't noticed. 

Pushing back the covers, she shivered as the cold air hit her bare legs and she quickly walked to the window. She closed it firmly, catching a sight of the full moon and persistent fog over the forest as she did. She smiled. It was like being in one of those films Fitz loved so much. All that was missing was a little rain and thunder. 

She turned around to walk back to the bed but she'd barely made a few steps when the window slammed open again. 

"What the—" 

This time she was certain she'd closed it properly. Still, she went back, closed it again and tested the handle for good measure. But the moment she turned her back to it, the window slammed open again. Maybe there was something faulty but she couldn't understand what and she didn't feel like going through this labyrinth again to get to the front desk in her pyjamas. 

But Fitz could help. He was going to be extra grumpy to be woken up in the middle of the night but it was his thing, wasn't it? He was an engineer and he always said he could fix everything. Hesitating for just a second longer, Jemma walked to the door connecting their rooms. She knocked three times but there was no answer, which wasn't surprising. Fitz was a heavy sleeper. Still, she knocked again, calling his name and realizing only afterwards that whispering his name in a dark, scary mansion was just going to terrify him. So she opened the door carefully, wincing as it ground on its hinges. 

But instead of finding Fitz happily snoring in bed, he was sitting on the side of his bed. Practically naked. Was that how he usually slept? Did he wear pyjamas only for her benefit? The moonlight filtering through the window was hitting his body in a rather enticing way and her eyes couldn't help but rove up and down, taking him in in all his pale glory. Her first thought was that he had indeed been doing pushups and the second was that his boxers left very little to the imagination, resulting in suddenly making her feel much warmer. 

"Jemma?" he asked, her given name in this low, slightly croaky voice adding to the heat that had suddenly overtaken her at the sight of her absolutely gorgeous best friend. When she didn't answer and kept staring instead, he stood up and walked right to her. 

"Jemma," he repeated, gently putting his hand on her shoulder. "Is everything alright?" 

His blue eyes were worried as he looked at her but all she could think about was the warmth of his palm and how good it would feel if he moved it just a little bit to the left, maybe slip under her shirt and—

"Jem, aren't you cold?"

"What? No, I…" She trailed off as she realized she wasn't in fact wearing the pyjamas she could have sworn she put on before bed but the tiny silky slip she'd bought when she was dating Milton but actually never got to wear because she'd broken up with him before his birthday. But she didn't even remember packing it. Why would she? Those things were not made to sleep in. "Actually yes I am. The window, it's…" 

But Fitz wasn't interested in what she was saying anymore and his eyes were fixed a little lower than her face. Her nipples were two hard points not at all concealed by her slip and it only had a little to do with the cold. 

"Warm me up, please." 

That wasn't what she'd intended to ask of him but the words slipped through her lips of their own volition and Fitz's eyes shot up, confusion mixed with something she'd never seen there but that was unmistakable. Desire. Covering his hand with hers, she made it slide to the side and sighed with delight when it covered her breast. He was so wonderfully warm and gentle and—

"Oh!" she let out when his thumb flicked her nipple, her eyes drifting closed as he kneaded the flesh and he let out a groan in the back of his throat. The next thing she knew, she was pulled closer and their lips were crashing against each other. It was perfect, his warm lips gliding against hers hungrily for a moment before he parted her lips and stroked his tongue against hers. "Fitz," she moaned into the kiss and she suddenly found herself pushed against the door and he lifted her up until her legs were around his waist. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe her best friend was doing this to her, his hands kneading the flesh of her bum while his tongue plundered her mouth and his erection pressed against her bare folds, already driving her closer and closer to ecstasy with each thrust of his hips. And yet, it wasn't weird or awkward. It was wonderful and she needed more. 

"Bed," she mumbled between kisses and Fitz groaned, kissing her even harder as he wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and carried across the room. He deposited her onto the bed and joined her immediately, hovering over her on his hands and knees to shower her body with kisses and sinful touches. He started with her neck then made his way down to her breasts, pulling the thin fabric with his teeth to capture her puckered nipple between his lips as one hand slipped up her thigh and between her legs. She moaned as he caressed her, his nimble fingers driving her even higher —she should have known he'd be good with his fingers— as her inner muscles tensed around nothing in a desperate bid to release the wonderful ache he had provoked. When she'd had enough of that sweet torture, she flipped them around. 

She crooked her fingers in the elastic of his boxers and pulled them down his legs, biting her lip at the sight of his cock, hard and red and ready for her. She straddled his thighs then lifted her hips and sank down on him. She whimpered as he filled her, his hands moving up her thighs to get a hold of her hips, encouraging her to move. She lifted her hips up and down again, moaning and gasping in disbelief at how close she was to ecstasy. Soon she was riding him into the mattress, his moans joining hers and she marveled at how gorgeous he was in the throes of pleasure, his pale face bathed in the moonlight.

Still holding on to her hips, Fitz sat up, pressing kisses all over her breasts before finding her lips again. "Jemma, I-I love you," he mumbled against her lips. 

"Fitz, I-I…"

Her orgasm started in the tip of her toes and as Fitz pulled her hard on him a few more times, it finally exploded from her center, moaning his name again and again until…

She awoke with a start. She looked around for Fitz, wondering if her orgasm had been so intense she'd passed out. But no. She was in her bed, alone, wearing her usual pyjamas. She groaned as she pushed the covers, feeling suddenly overheated despite the window that was indeed open. She'd had sex dreams before, a few of them involving Fitz. But she'd never given it much thought. She'd just been horny and her subconscious had provided the attractive male face she knew best. But it had never felt so real and detailed and it usually stopped too soon. But despite having reached the good part this time, it still left her all hot and bothered and wanting more, the faint pulsing between her legs making her wonder how it would feel to have him inside her for real. Would it feel as good? She looked towards the connecting door. Did he sleep with so little on? Did his chest really look like _that_. Did he really fill his boxers so well? She'd noticed he filled the back of his trousers rather nicely but she'd never had the opportunity to get a good look at the other side. Maybe she could…

No! 

That was insane. It was just the dangerous mix of a delightful dream, a non-existent sex life and Fitz being wonderfully cuddly these days giving her those ideas. But still...

She had always thought of Fitz as sweet, adorable and handsome in a pale, Victorian hero kind of way. She had deep feelings for him, he was her best friend and favorite person in the world and she always had a sort of platonic crush on him. But now… she couldn't help but wonder if the real Fitz could make her feel like that.

She fell back into bed, deciding to leave the window open. She was more than warm enough.


End file.
